Public Lands — Who Controls Access (and Why It Costs More Today)

Access to public lands used to feel simple. What changed—and why does it cost more to use land that's publicly owned? In this episode, I break down how access to outdoor recreation is structured, and how fees, funding, and partnerships shape today's outdoor experience. We explore: • How user fees were introduced and expanded over time • How funding flows through public land systems • The role of private organizations and industry groups • Why costs have increased while services often feel reduced This isn't about assigning blame. It's about understanding how the system works—and what incentives drive outcomes . Wwhen access changes, it's the result of how the system is structured, not how it's managed. SHOW NOTES Outdoor Recreation RoundtableWebsite: https://recreationroundtable.org/ I mis-spoke: REI appears to be a member again. wilderness.org (http://wilderness.org) can be reached via this link: https://groups.google.com/g/parklands... #PublicLands #OutdoorRecreation #NationalParks #Policy #Economics #SystemsThinking #Access